Mid Semester Check In

It is hard to believe the semester is half way over. Then again I have always said that when you are a teacher life seems to move faster. There are just not enough hours in the day.

Throughout this semester I feel I have already learned more than I ever would have expected about fostering creativity in the classroom. I have to admit, coming into this class as a "reading strand" student was a bit nerve wracking. Even with my experience at a gifted and talented magnet school I still felt out of my comfort zone. Regardless I am beginning to feel more comfortable with the subject.

Overall I have enjoyed diving deeper into the theories and trends of creative education. As a former psych major in college I enjoy learning about how our mind works and the research behind these ideas! I hope that I can begin to implement these schools of thought into my own classroom.

This class has also opened my eyes to realize that in order to foster creativity we must first believe that we too can be creative. Although that sounds so obvious once you admit it to yourself, it is can be very difficult. How can we expect our students to think outside of the box if we never do?

And lastly, while we are being honest, I have to admit... one of my fondest moments from the class so far has been learning more about Odyssey of the Mind. For years I have seen this class listed on the elective choice forms for my students. It wasn't until this class that I learned about all that OM offers students. Embarrassing to admit... yes. Learning more so that I can now support and encourage students... priceless!

This course is allowing me to not only think outside of the box, it is also allowing me to think outside of my comfort zone. Two things I need to practice. And for this teacher I hope practice makes (almost) perfect!